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September 2, 2014

Houston Environmental News Update September 2, 2014

COALITION NOTES

  1. Exploration to Exploitation – The Road from Plant Discovery to Market. In this behind-the-scenes look into the nursery world, Tony Avent will share the secrets of how and why new plants fit into different market niches. Explore why certain new plants get to market quickly, while other great plants never see the light of day.  Avent will track memorable plant introduction successes, explain bad horticultural marketing disasters, and blow up some common plant exploration myths. You will never look at plants the same way again! Tony Avent is owner of Juniper Level Botanic Gardens and Plant Delights Nursery in Raleigh, North Carolina. This lecture is cosponsored with The Mercer Society with additional support from Houston Advanced Research Center and Kava King Products. Tickets $18, Members $12. September 4, 2014, at 6:30pm, at Wortham Giant Screen Theatre. Also mark your calendar for a lecture by Dr. Peter Raven on September 25, 2014, and Dr. Peter Wyse-Jackson on November 6, 2014. Read more and purchase tickets at www.hmns.org.
  2. EaDo Pub Crawl. Come out to the 8th Wonder Brewery on September 5, 2014, at 5pm, for the 3rd annual EaDo Pub Crawl, benefiting Air Alliance Houston. Enjoy food trucks, street art festival, live music & awesome 8th Wonder Beer! Receive 2 complimentary beers and a limited edition pint glass (for the first 350 guests) with registration! The price to register is $15. Learn more at http://ezregister.com.
  3. Flying WILD Educators’ Workshop. The next Flying WILD workshop will be held on September 6, 2014, 10am-3pm, at Jesse H. Jones Park and Nature Center. Flying WILD offers comprehensive, quality bird education. As a sister program to Project WILD and Aquatic WILD, the main purpose of Flying WILD: An Educator’s Guide to Celebrating Birds is to provide activities that teach middle-school aged students about birds, their migration, and what people can do to help birds and their habitats. The guide’s 43 fascinating activities are designed to be led either by a teacher, volunteer, or student, and can be used to teach classroom lessons, initiate service-learning projects, or implement bird festivals. Join in the fun while learning how to protect migratory birds! The cost is $15 and includes a take-home guide and materials. Learn more at www.hcp4.net. To register, send an email to Rose Belzung Holmes at rbelzung@hcp4.net.
  4. Wild West Tour: Hawks of the Prairie. Fall is in the air – and so are the hawks! Join bird expert, Glenn Olsen, on an afternoon tour of the prairie in search of these fantastic raptors as they migrate south for the winter. This tour will be held on September 7, 2014, 1-5pm, at the Indiangrass Preserve. The cost is $50 per person. Register for the event at https://events.r20.constantcontact.com.
  5. Bayoutopia Gala Kickoff. Join the Bayou Preservation Association on September 10, 2014, 6-8pm at Tootsies (2601 Westheimer at Kirby). Celebrate the utopic nature of Houston’s Bayou System. There will be a personal appearance and trunk show by Josie Natori featuring her fall 2014 collection. Eddie V’s will be providing appetizers. RSVP to klord@bayoupreservationassociation.org. Learn more at www.yelp.com.
  6. Wildscapes Workshop & Native Plant Sale. The Wildscapes Workshop & Native Plant Sale is a series of presentations on September 13, 2014, 8:30am-3:30pm at the Houston Zoo’s Brown Education Center. Topics include urban prairies, native plants, wildscapes landscapes, insects, and reptiles and amphibians. Registration is $40 per person until August 29th, and $50 after. Registration includes lunch, refreshments, and entry to the zoo. Learn more at http://npsot.org.
  7. 2014 Park to Port Bike Ride. The Park to Port Bike Ride, celebrating the centennials of Hermann Park and the Port of Houston, will start in Hermann Park and travel east along Brays Bayou approximately 10 miles to the Port of Houston. There riders will stop for a mid-ride party featuring snacks, music, and fun activities. Riders will return along the same path, heading west, to Hermann Park for a post-ride celebration with music, food, partnerships with local organizations, and more. There is also an option to turn around at MacGregor Park for a shorter ride. The 2014 Park to Port Ride will be held on September 13, 2014, and is is open to experienced and novice riders. Registration is $35. Learn more at www.hermannpark.org.
  8. Cypress Creek Regatta. Ready, Set, Paddle! Bayou Preservation Association is hosting its Cypress Creek Regatta on September 13, 2014, 9am-1pm. The race will be a fun activity for all ages and skill levels. Enjoy beautiful landscapes, birds and fish while paddling along the 7.5-mile scenic stretch of Cypress Creek. Whether you are an experienced paddler or a novice simply wanting to test your endurance and enjoy Houston’s longest Texas Parks and Wildlife paddletrail, the Cypress Creek Regatta offers canoers and kayakers the chance to navigate Houston waterways. Celebrate the race with live music, dancing and food and drink vendors. The entry fee is $45 until race day. Race day registration is $50. Learn more at http://cypresscreekregatta.org.
  9. Xtreme Hummingbird Xtravaganza. Autumn is hummingbird season in Texas, as thousands of these tiny creatures move through the state on their southward migration to Mexico and Central America. Join Gulf Coast Bird Observatory on September 13th and 20th to see hummingbirds being banded, adopt a hummingbird, browse the Nature Store, walk the nature trails, or buy a plant to attract hummingbirds and butterflies. More at http://gcbo.org.
  10. Sierra Club Evening Benefit Event. Gather with like-minded folks, enjoy good company, as well as some great appetizers, and donate to both the local Houston Regional Group Sierra Club and the Lone Star Chapter Sierra Club. The benefit will be held on September 17, 2014, 6:30-8:30pm at teh Houston Arboretum & Nature Center. Hear from the new chapter Executive Director, Scheleen Walker, about past successes and upcoming challenges (including the next legislative session); as well Jennifer Walker, chapter Water Resources Coordinator about what we can’t live without. Tickets are $30 for individuals and $50 for couples. Email art.browning@gmail.com for purchase and information.
  11. A Story of Memorial Park: People in Nature. Please join the Memorial Park Conservancy on September 17, 2014, from 6pm to 8pm for a public update meeting about the current Memorial Park Master Planning process.  The evening will include a presentation by the master planning design team (Nelson Byrd Woltz - www.nbwla.com) and a Q & A session following the presentation. Join the Memorial Park Conservancy, Houston Parks and Recreation Department, and Uptown-Houston who are jointly leading the Memorial Park Long-Range Master Planning effort to learn about Memorial Park’s soils, ecology, cultural history and preliminary design ideas for the park.  For more information, visit http://www.memorialparkconservancy.org/visit-memorial-park/calendar.html.
  12. The Future of Transportation in The Woodlands: What’s Next? September’s Going Green Sustainability Lecture, sponsored by The Woodlands G.R.E.E.N., will focus on The Woodlands area’s transportation issues. The Woodlands is facing major transportation challenges with the growing traffic levels that are accompanying new development in and around The Woodlands. This added traffic impacts air quality, noise levels, storm runoff, and public safety. Mike Bass, Director on The Woodlands Township Board, will provide an update about these conditions and options considered in two major studies launched in 2013. The lecture will be held on September 16, 2014, at 7pm at the South Regional Library. More at www.thewoodlands.net.
  13. Clean Waters Initiative: Water Rights and Water Reuse. The next Clean Waters Initiative will be held on September 18, 2014, at 1:30pm in H-GAC Conference Room A, Second Floor. The topic will be Water Rights and Water Reuse. Subjects to be covered include Region H water supply, Environmental Flows, Rain Barrels, Desalination and Energy Production, and Water Conservation. You can register at http://events.r20.constantcontact.com. CWI offers workshops that help local governments, landowners, and citizens develop effective strategies to reduce pollution in our area waterways. For more information, contact Aubin Phillips at 832-681-2524.
  14. Galveston Bay Foundation Rain Barrel Program. Rain barrels are an efficient, low-cost method for collecting rainwater. They are placed at downspouts in order to reduce runoff into storm drains, and can be used for watering a garden or houseplants, among many other uses. Come learn about rain barrels at Galveston Bay Foundation’s Rain Barrel Workshop on September 20, 2014, from 2-4pm at the Brown Education Hall at the Houston Zoo. The cost is $30 per registration, which includes admission to the workshop, a 35-gallon recycled barrel, and a connector kit. All purchases are final and attendance at the workshop is required to receive a barrel and kit. Register at www.galvbay.org.
  15. Texas Gulf Coast Gardener Class Series. Mercer Botanic Garden’s is very excited to once again be offering it’s Texas Gulf Coast Gardener class series. Tiers 1 and 2 of this popular program will be offered again this fall. The TGCG curriculum, developed by the botanists and staff at Mercer Botanic Gardens, gives participants the knowledge and skills needed to grow, develop, and maintain their own gardens through a variety of gardening and horticulture topics specifically designed for the Texas Gulf Coast climate. Tier-1 and Tier-2 are two separate classes in a three part program. While the classes do build on each other it is not necessary to take them in any particular order. Tier 1 covers topics including site preparation, composting, plant propagation, and water-wise irrigation practices. Tier 2 focuses on plants that can be successfully cultivated in home gardens and landscapes in the Texas Gulf Coast climate. This fall’s programs will be 9-weeks long. Tier-1 will be held on Thursdays from September 25, 2014 – November 20, 2014. Tier-2 will be held on Tuesdays from September 23, 2014 – November 18, 2014. The cost of enrollment for TMS members is $200; enrollment for non-members is $225. Participants will receive a text book, T-shirt or tote bag, and a one-year membership to TMS. Call 281-443-8731 or visit the park to enroll.
  16. Marsh Mania. Join Galveston Bay Foundation on Saturday, September 27, 2014,to celebrate National Estuaries Day by having fun restoring marsh at three different Marsh Mania sites around Galveston Bay! Be a part of a community of more than 7,100 volunteers over the past fifteen years who have restored over 202 acres at 74 sites around the bay. Restoration Sites: Shipe Woods (Oak Island/Anahuac), Bay Harbor (Galveston Island), Pine Gully Park (Seabrook). Learn more!
  17. Greens Bayou Letter Writing Campaign. Greens Bayou Corridor Coalition recently kicked off a citizen’s letter writing campaign in support of funding for the Greens Bayou Federal Project at Beltway 8 and Antoine. In 1990, a promise was made by the US Congress to construct a detention basin at Beltway 8 and Antoine that would provide flood relief and become an integral component of an overall system of basins and channel improvements along Greens Bayou. For many years the residents and businesses bordering the project location and downstream have waited while continued floods lowered their property values, made flood insurance too expensive to afford and made homes unsellable, and some unlivable. Greens Bayou Corridor Coalition is writing for action. Learn more about the campaign at http://greensbayou.org.
  18. Galveston Bay Report Card. Did you know that half of Texans live within the Galveston Bay watershed, which extends from the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex to the shores of the Gulf of Mexico? Take this #GalvBaySurvey online and let the Galveston Bay Foundation know what issues are important to you, and what you would like to learn more about. www.galvbay.org
  19. Save the Date! Folks and Oysters. Save the Date for Galveston Baykeepers annual “Folks and Oysters” in Clear Lake. The event on December 30, 2014, is a fundraiser and friendraiser – so bring a friend and come shuck with the folks working hard to improve water quality. You’ll hear a short history on the Galveston Baykeepers enforcement initiative that holds industry accountable when they pollute our bayous and streams, as well as an update on the Trendmaker lawsuit asking for wetland mitigation for the destruction of wetlands for a new subdivision. Plan for it!
  20. Additional Upcoming Events

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COMMUNITY NOTES

  1. Greater Houston Plant Conference. The Greater Houston Plant Conference provides the perfect opportunity for the greenhouse and nursery grower, landscaper, retailer, collector and plant enthusiast to gather for a glimpse at exciting new plants. Come hear from industry experts on trees and shrubs, annuals and perennials, marketing trends, breeding programs at A&M and plant trials in Harris County. The Plant Auction will allow you to leave with some of those new, interesting plants that you learned about the conference. The conference will be held on September 12, 2014, from 8am-4pm, at Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service’s Harris County office. The cos is $50 before September 4 and $75 thereafter until September 11. Register at https://agriliferegister.tamu.edu.
  2. AFLOAT! Boat Parade. Known to many as the Bayou City, Houston, Texas can trace its very roots to the vast network of waterways that criss-cross the urban landscape. Afloat! is the first in a series of parades organized as part of Houston Arts Alliance’s three-month Transported + Renewed program, and is a celebration of all things on the water. Adventure seekers are invited to join in a spectacular boat procession from Allen’s Landing, the site of our city’s founding, to Houston’s East End, a harbinger of our city’s future on September 13, 2014, from 11am-1pm. Boat afficianados can become part of the parade by registering their boat by September 1st! Learn more at www.houstonartsalliance.com.
  3. Rice University’s Center for Civic Leadership Volunteer Opportunities Fair. Rice University’s Center for Civic Leadership (CCL) is hosting a Volunteer Opportunities Fair on September 16, 2014, from 4-8pm, and is currently searching for organizations to participate. For over fifteen years, this fair has connected students with non-profit organizations in the Houston community. Participating in this event will provide organizations with an opportunity to recruit Rice University student volunteers for the upcoming year. Learn more about the fair at http://cic.rice.edu.
  4. Cowspiracy: The Sustainability Secret. Exclusive Houston screening of newly released and highly acclaimed documentary Cowspiracy: The Sustainability Secret, September 16, 2014, at 7:00pm, Landmark River Oaks Theater. Don’t miss this highly acclaimed documentary that reveals the impact of big agriculture on our environment. Tickets priced at $13.00/person and available at www.tugg.com.
  5. Fall Interfaith Environmental Stewardship Event. Join with people of all faiths, or no faith at all, in caring for our shared environment on Sunday afternoon, September 21, 2014, from 1:30-4:30pm. Attendees will engage in hands-on environmental stewardship by working with the Japhet Creek Nature Park. Japhet Creek Nature Park serves a neighborhood with little other access to greenspace. The park is located at 4600 Clinton at Emile in Houston (south of I-10 East). This event will offer activities for all ages and skill levels, so bring the whole family, your neighbors, and your friends. Contact Lisa at gcs.lrc@gmail.com or 713-372-7345 for more information or to sign up to help.
  6. Texas Riparian & Stream Ecosystem Workshop. The Texas Riparian & Stream Ecosystem Workshop will be held on September 24, 2014, 8am-4pm, at Whites Park Community Center. Hear from an expert how streams and riparian areas work. Find out how you can manage riparian areas to protect your property from erosion. See which plants are doing what in one of our own local streams. Trainings will focus on the nature and function of stream and riparian zones and the benefits and direct economic impacts from healthy riparian zones. The riparian education programs will cover an introduction to riparian principles, watershed processes, basic hydrology, erosion/deposition principles, and riparian vegetation, as well as potential causes of degradation and possible resulting impairment(s), and available local resources including technical assistance and tools that can be employed to prevent and/or resolve degradation. These one-day trainings in watersheds across the state will include both indoor classroom presentations and outdoor stream walks. For more information or questions please contact Nikki Dictson at 979-458-5915 or n-dictson@tamu.edu and visit http://texasriparian.org.
  7. SXSW Eco 2014 (Austin, TX). SXSW Eco 2014 is approaching! SXSW Eco attracts a global community to explore, engage and co-create solutions for a sustainable world. A uniquely inclusive platform for professionals, SXSW Eco examines the critical challenges of our times through a kaleidoscopic lens of design innovation, policy tipping points, technological breakthroughs, conservation practice, entrepreneurial spirit and a culture of creativity to transform inspiration into action. This 3 day event will feature speakers, sessions, workshops, networking opportunities with experts and industry leaders, film screenings, receptions, SXSW Eco Awards Ceremony, closing party, mentor sessions, exhibition, meet ups, startup central, and more! SXSW Eco will be held October 6-8, 2014, in Austin, TX. Register by September 12 to save at http://sxsweco.com!
  8. CENHS Undergrad Posters on Display at Rice’s Fondren Library. As the major project in the Spring 2014 CENHS class “Culture, Energy and the Environment: An Introduction to Energy Humanities,” Rice University undergraduates collaboratively researched, wrote, and designed posters (with supplementary digital components) on topics of their choosing related to the energy and environmental humanities. The posters were first displayed (and judged) at the Third Annual Cultures of Energy Symposium in April, and are now on display at Rice’s Fondren Library (until early October. Read more and view the posters online at http://culturesofenergy.com.
  9. International Low Impact Development Conference 2015. The International Low Impact Development Conference 2015 will be held January 19-21, 2015. This conference will highlight new and continuing work including research developments and community adoption of LID throughout the United States and internationally. In addition, this conference will focus on the application of LID technology in the Southwest region of the US and will also include a mini-symposium on arid region LID. Attendees will have the opportunity to hear from CNN’s 2013 Hero of the Year, Chad Pregracke, whose presentation will be “Helping to Clean America’s Rivers: From the Bottom Up.” Learn more at http://content.asce.org.
  10. NOAA’s Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary – Open Council Seats. NOAA’s Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary is seeking applicants for four primary seats on its advisory council. The council ensures public participation in sanctuary management and provides advice to the sanctuary superintendent. Applications are being accepted for the following open seats: recreational diving, commercial fishing and diving operations (two seats). Candidates are selected based on their expertise and experience in relation to the seat for which they are applying, community and professional affiliations, and views regarding the protection and management of marine resources. The diving operations seat has been expanded to include dive operators, dive shop owners/managers, dive travel organizers and dive club/organization representatives. Applicants who are chosen should expect to serve a three-year term. For a full application packet or more information, please contact: Shelley Du Puy at shelley.dupuy@noaa.gov  or 409-621-5151 ext 106.
  11. Texas Environmental Excellence Awards. Each year, the TCEQ commissioners and the governor’s office honor the state’s most outstanding environmental projects through the Texas Environmental Excellence Awards (TEEA). Winners from across the state are chosen who represent ways Texans set the standard for ensuring clean air, clean water, and safe management of waste. Applications are now open and accepted in the following categories: agriculture, civic/community, education, individual, pollution prevention, innovative operations/management, technical/technology, water conservation, and youth. Winners will be honored at an awards banquet, held at the culmination of the agency’s Environmental Trade Fair and Conference,May 5-6, 2015. See  winner videos from 2014 or download the application and apply online at www.teea.org. Deadline is October 3, 2014.
  12. Additional Community Announcements  
  13. TV: Texas Parks & Wildlife. Broadcast on KUHT Channel 8 at 3:00 PM each Saturday and on municipal access cable channels in Baytown, Deer Park, Houston, Nassau Bay, Pasadena, Seabrook, Sugar Land, and on HCC TV. More info on the TPWD website (* indicates a segment about the Houston area). For a preview, visit TPWD’s YouTube Page.
    • What Wardens Do
    • Mother Neff State Park
    • Outdoor Info: Turkey Calls
    • Stripers in Production
    • Postcard From Texas: Fiddler Crabs
  14. Air Quality Forecast. http://www.tceq.texas.gov/airquality/monops/forecast_today.html. Houston Clean Air Network and Realtime Ozone Mapping: http://houstoncleanairnetwork.com.
    • September 2, 2014: Green–Good. Moderate winds and low incoming background levels should help to keep air quality in the “Good” range.
    • September 2, 2014: Green–Good. Moderate winds and low incoming background levels should help to keep air quality in the “Good” range.
    • September 2, 2014: Green–Good. Moderate winds and low incoming background levels should help to keep air quality in the “Good” range.
    • September 2, 2014: Green–Good. Moderate winds and low incoming background levels should help to keep air quality in the “Good” range.

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ECONOTES

  1. Shelton, Vickery: Houston not chained to re-create sprawling past – Outlook (Kyle Shelton and Kate Vickery – Houston Chronicle, 8/29/2014)
    What will the Houston region look like in 2040? Based on new Houston-Galveston Area Council projections released in August, our future looks much like our past. But is such a future ideal for our region? With the city taking steps toward the Houston General Plan, a comprehensive planning effort that could guide future local development, we urgently need to consider projections that offer alternatives to the status quo. The Council’s Regional Growth Forecast – widely used to inform policy decisions – and its Regional Land Use Information System map use historical data to project future population, employment and land-use trends in the eight-county region. The current model predicts that an additional 3.7 million people will live in the region by 2040.
    www.chron.com
  2. City to get dedicated bike lane downtown (Mike Morris – Houston Chronicle, 8/26/2014)
    Houston may get its first dedicated, on-street bike lane as early as October, as city officials prepare to convert one lane of Lamar Street downtown to a two-way cycling route connecting the popular Buffalo Bayou trails west of downtown to Discovery Green and points east. The nearly three-quarter-mile path, from the edge of Sam Houston Park to the edge of Discovery Green, will be painted green and separated from the remaining three lanes of traffic by a barrier of striped plastic humps sometimes called “armadillos” or “zebras,” said Laura Spanjian, the city’s sustainability director.
    www.chron.com
  3. Emmett proposes Dome become ‘world’s largest indoor park’ (Kiah Collier – Houston Chronicle, 8/26/2014)
    Harris County Judge Ed Emmett on Tuesday proposed turning the Astrodome into “the world’s largest indoor park” and recreation area, a concept he said would preserve a taxpayer-funded asset and honor the reason his predecessor built the iconic stadium nearly 50 years ago. The county’s top elected official did not present any blueprints or renderings on Tuesday, but discussed a loose concept for an evolving air-conditioned facility that he said could host festivals and other community gatherings, general exercise facilities, hike and bike trails on the upper levels, an amphitheater, a pavilion for concerts and other events, museums and special educational facilities for children.
    www.chron.com